Yahoo TV

STORY: ::More right-wing influence in European politics would impact the climate and EU enlargement, says one analyst

::Brussels, Belgium

::June 10, 2024

Corina Stratulat, Associate Director, European Policy Centre

"The outcome so far can be summed up as 'the more things change, the more they stay the same'. And I say this because, of course, we have seen changes. We've seen changes some of which also have been in line with what has been expected, meaning that the far right, but also center right, more generally of the the rightward move of European politics has materialized. The far right has continued to make gains."

"So environment, I think remains vulnerable. But also, of course, given how the Parliament looks at the moment, I think there are also a number of other areas, including anything linked to institutional reform, to enlargement, even defence - whatever degree of European defence we can envision - that could be at risk as well. And also even support for Ukraine."

"We still have a similar configuration so far in the structure of the Parliament with regards to the centrist political parties, in terms of them still having a majority. EPP (center right European People's Party), having a particularly important role to play henceforth and a lot of responsibility on its shoulder of how it will behave, especially since it looks like for the election of the Commission president, but also later for different policy files, it might be tempted and might be in need of reaching to the right."

Stratulat, an associate director at the European Policy Centre think tank, said while there was still a broadly centrist majority in the parliament according to the results so far, the incumbent head of the powerful executive European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, might seek to find allies on the right to pass its agenda.

Von der Leyen said on Sunday (June 9) she would start by trying to rebuild the parliamentary bedrock of her last term.

Provisional results on Monday gave the main parties that backed von der Leyen last time - the EPP, socialists and liberals - a total of 402 seats in the 720-member chamber. But that is widely regarded in Brussels as too tight a majority for comfort.